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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. race — the arms race
  3. degree — temperature
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. perch — the fish
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. race — a contest
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cue — a hint
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. degree — from a university
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — for a bird

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