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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cap — of ice
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — help
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bound — tied together

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