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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 120 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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — magic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of a king
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — a short time
  16. court — of law
  17. spell — letters
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bank — for money

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