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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — there
  5. charge — electricity
  6. present — a gift
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — the time now
  16. bank — for money
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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