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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 124 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — a division
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — of water
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — a line
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. court — of law
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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