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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — a skill
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — a coil
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. spring — of water
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — letters
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — a group
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — boats
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. spell — a short time

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