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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — certain
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — a practice
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — a price
  11. row — to paddle
  12. dip — to sink
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — army training
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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