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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. degree — temperature
  24. branch — of a tree

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