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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 broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — a coil
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — a price
  7. tear — to rip
  8. spring — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — army training
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tear — from crying
  15. charge — in control
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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