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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — a match
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. branch — a division
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. clip — to cut
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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