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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to confront
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. content — the amount
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bass — low music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. content — happy
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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