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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — the season
  8. rest — a break
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stock — goods
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stock — shares

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