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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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 — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a ring
  14. cue — a signal
  15. band — a music group
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. swing — music
  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