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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — a division
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chest — a box
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. net — after costs
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — for catching
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — a permit
  20. snap — to click
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — in sport

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