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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — a thing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — an aim
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — the animal

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