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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. board — a committee
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a round shape

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