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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. branch — a division
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — the time now
  9. tube — the underground
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fall — to drop
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — there
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — a gift
  23. bass — low music
  24. drill — the tool

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