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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bank — of a river
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kid — to tease
  17. shower — rain
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bank — for 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