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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. last — final
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mug — a face
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — a position
  23. last — to go on
  24. mug — a cup

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