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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — to go on
  6. court — of a king
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bank — of a river
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. last — final
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — a trainer

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