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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. squash — to crush
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — in a race
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — the season
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fall — to drop
  23. branch — a division
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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