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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chest — of your body
  16. spell — magic
  17. chest — a box
  18. can — to be able to
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spell — a short time

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