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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cold — not warm
  4. firm — steady
  5. court — of law
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — a company
  8. cold — an illness
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — exactly

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