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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — a container
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — there
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — in sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. patient — a sick person

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