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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — music
  10. chest — a box
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — a cup
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — a face
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — to rob

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