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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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — for light

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