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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a match
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — for money
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. game — wild animals
  24. coach — a trainer

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