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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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. suit — to fit
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — thin
  5. branch — a division
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — in cards
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — a phone
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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