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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — for sport
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — to bear
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. field — a subject
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — thin
  21. race — a contest
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — humankind
  24. field — farmland

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