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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — music
  9. field — a subject
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — for sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. field — farmland
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. rock — a stone
  23. nail — on a finger
  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