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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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