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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — of a king
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. court — for sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. plane — a tool

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