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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to bend
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. present — the time now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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