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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a dance
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mate — a friend
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a partner

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