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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. staff — employees
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — in a road
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — an aim
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — to protest
  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