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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — wild animals
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bank — of a river
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. game — a match
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry

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