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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — to bear
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — ground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. land — to come down
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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