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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — tied together
  11. charge — a price
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — certain
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — a division
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — electricity
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. drill — army training
  24. ruler — for measuring

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