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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 124 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 water is too ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cold — not warm
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — goods
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — a price
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — in control
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. press — a publisher
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. face — to point toward

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