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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tear — to rip
  6. season — of the year
  7. branch — a division
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spring — of water
  13. charge — in control
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. date — the fruit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. charge — electricity
  22. season — in sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. charge — a price

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