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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. key — the most important part
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. march — the month
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. row — a line
  22. key — in music
  23. craft — a skill
  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