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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. net — in sport
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chest — of your body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. net — for catching
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — army training
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chest — a box
  17. charge — a price
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — electricity
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. net — after costs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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