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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. can — a tin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — high quality
  17. can — to be able to
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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