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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 116 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bound — certain
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — of a tree

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