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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 124 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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