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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — a box
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. date — the fruit
  13. fine — all right
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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