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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. file — a document
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — a position
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bank — for money
  24. ground — crushed

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