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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mate — to breed
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. scale — size or range
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — of the year
  13. object — a thing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — to protest
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a partner
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. object — an aim
  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