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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. march — the month
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. branch — a division
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. snap — to click

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