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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — of a river
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. ground — a position
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spring — of water
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lean — thin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — on a finger

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