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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — an amount
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stock — goods
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. suit — in cards
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — clothes

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