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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. mate — a friend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bank — for money
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mate — to breed

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