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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · hide · patient · ground · branch · chair · current · pitch

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitch — completely
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — a division
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. current — electric
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. current — of water
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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