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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.

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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. drill — the tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — to push
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — army training
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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