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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — music
  8. land — to come down
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. dip — to sink
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. land — ground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. arm — a part of something

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