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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. scale — in music
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — the animal
  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