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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — a phone
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. cell — in biology
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com