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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

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