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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mug — to rob
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — the season
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — the tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a cup
  21. spring — a coil
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — ministers

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