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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. date — the fruit
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — to be able to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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