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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. race — humankind
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. ground — a position
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spell — magic
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ground — the earth
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — a division
  19. shower — rain
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stem — to come from
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — letters

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