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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. dip — to sink
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — a short time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  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