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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — of a river
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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