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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fine — all right
  15. branch — a division
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cold — an illness

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