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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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 speak sharply
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to click
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. branch — a division
  15. key — for a lock
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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