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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — of a king
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rash — a series
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — for sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. court — of law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — for money

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