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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. object — to protest
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — a thing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. shower — to wash
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — for digging
  20. suit — to fit
  21. object — an aim
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. branch — a division

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