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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — soda
  8. branch — a division
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kid — child
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bear — the animal

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