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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 120 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. bound — certain
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. branch — a division
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bound — tied together

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