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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. content — happy
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — music
  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