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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a dance
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a great time
  10. branch — a division
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — to recline
  24. swing — music

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