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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — child
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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