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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bank — of a river
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. file — a document
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. file — a tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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