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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. tube — a container
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. branch — a division
  24. tube — the underground

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