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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — a division
  12. shower — rain
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — the arms race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. race — humankind
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. race — a contest
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. shower — to wash

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