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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. vault — a safe
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rest — a break
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bound — obliged
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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