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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. race — a contest
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — in sport
  24. race — the arms race

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