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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — to play on
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pop — to visit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. swing — music

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