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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — in music
  11. stock — shares
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stock — goods
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. branch — a division
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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