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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. tube — the underground
  7. band — a music group
  8. hand — in cards
  9. band — a ring
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fall — the season
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fall — to drop

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