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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. court — of law
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. court — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of a king
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. toast — bread
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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