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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the fish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bass — low music
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — letters
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — on a finger

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