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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. pop — to visit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — music
  16. game — a match
  17. branch — a division
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — letters
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. branch — of a tree

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