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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — a city
  7. hand — help
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bank — for money
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fall — the season
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — in cards
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. capital — money

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