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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. clip — a video
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — for paper
  5. vault — a safe
  6. face — part of the head
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. deal — to handle
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. clip — to cut
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. face — to confront
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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