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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. firm — decided
  9. bank — for money
  10. cell — in biology
  11. firm — a company
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — a grade
  17. firm — steady
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — a series
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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