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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. chest — a box
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. bank — for money
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — to rest against

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