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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. safe — a strongbox

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