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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bass — the instrument

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