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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bound — obliged
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — the cause
  8. fine — high quality
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — all right
  14. bound — certain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — tied together
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. squash — the sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. squash — to crush

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