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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pop — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — soda
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spring — of water
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — a stone
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — the cause
  22. bank — of a river
  23. root — of a word
  24. rock — to move gently

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