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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — in music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. club — for golf
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. chair — a leader
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — hurry
  20. club — a group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wound — an injury

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