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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · patient · branch · chip · mouse · spell · field · straw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. field — for sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — for betting
  16. field — farmland
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — magic
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. spell — letters
  22. mug — a cup
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — a division

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