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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 124 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — the season
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stock — goods
  11. current — of water
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. current — electric
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — happening now
  24. prune — to trim

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