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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. kick — in football
  13. prune — to trim
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. press — to push
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. prune — to trim

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