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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — finally
  14. squash — the sport
  15. last — final
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. staff — a stick
  20. last — to go on
  21. craft — a skill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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