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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — a list
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mate — a partner
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bank — of a river
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mate — a friend
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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