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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. present — a gift
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a music group
  15. present — there
  16. bank — for money
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — for sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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