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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rule — a law
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — thin
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — child
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — government
  24. lean — to rest against

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