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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bulb — of a plant

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