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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ground — a position
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — the time now
  9. bound — certain
  10. present — a gift
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — the season
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — for money
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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