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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — the season
  7. bank — for money
  8. craft — boats
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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