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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — to come down
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — a position
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — a division
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — the earth
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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