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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. key — for a lock
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — wild animals
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cell — in biology
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — to handle

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