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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. court — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. tear — to rip
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — for money
  15. race — a contest
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — of a river
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. spring — a coil
  24. race — humankind

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