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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — happening now
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. current — electric
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. current — of water

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