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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. cap — a hat
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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