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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. season — in sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. track — a song
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tube — the underground
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — a division
  19. bound — obliged
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — thin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. lean — to bend

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