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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fall — the season
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — a division

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