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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — the underground
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. spring — the season
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. deal — to handle
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — of water
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. patient — a sick person

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