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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. current — happening now
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — the season
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — music
  14. current — electric
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. current — of water
  18. perch — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — of water
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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