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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — a division
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. prune — to trim
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. prune — to trim
  17. face — to confront
  18. press — a publisher
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wound — an injury
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — to push
  24. wound — an injury

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