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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — all right
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bound — certain
  22. spring — of water
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fine — high quality

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