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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — the season
  10. cell — in biology
  11. prune — to trim
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — in sport
  14. board — a committee
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — of water
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — animal skin

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