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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cue — a hint
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cue — a signal
  24. patient — a sick person

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