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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — a gift
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. branch — a division
  23. swing — music
  24. deal — to handle

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