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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cold — an illness
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — to recline
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — out of danger
  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