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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hand — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chest — a box
  6. hand — help
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. race — the arms race
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. race — humankind
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. chest — of your body
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. march — music
  19. press — to push
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — a contest
  24. chest — of your body

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