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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cue — a hint
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — for pool
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — to go away

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