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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. current — of water
  10. bank — for money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. march — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — of a river

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