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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stock — goods
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — a friend
  24. ball — a round shape

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