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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. land — ground
  14. suit — to fit
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. land — a country
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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