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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. branch — of a tree

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