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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — a phone
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cell — in biology
  17. tear — to rip
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — of ice
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. snap — to click

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