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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. branch — a division
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — for digging
  8. band — a music group
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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