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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to click
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. can — to be able to
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — a division
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — a group
  16. court — for sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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