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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — of a river
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. charge — in control
  8. last — final
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — finally
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spell — magic
  18. bank — for money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fall — the season
  24. last — to go on

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