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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  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. bank — for money
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — to be able to
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  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