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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mug — a face
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kid — child
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — to tease
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. march — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mug — to rob
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — the month

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