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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — a division
  18. fork — in a road
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — to sink

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