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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spring — of water
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — happy
  12. bat — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spring — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — a coil
  20. content — the amount
  21. mate — a friend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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