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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — the fish
  10. press — to push
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rash — a series
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rash — hasty
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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