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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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