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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — of water
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rush — hurry
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spring — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cell — in biology
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bank — of a river

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