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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. game — a match
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stem — to come from
  6. board — to get on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — to push
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — a safe
  19. branch — a division
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. board — a committee
  23. sharp — clever
  24. board — a flat piece

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