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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cold — an illness
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cold — not warm
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wake — a trail
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. content — the amount

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