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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lean — to bend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a rubber band

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