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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — a path
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. content — happy
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — with your hand
  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