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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — for paper
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — a price
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. object — to protest
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chair — a leader
  11. plane — a tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. object — an aim
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. season — in sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. object — a thing
  22. clip — to cut
  23. charge — in control
  24. branch — of a tree

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