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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — of water
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hand — in cards
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — the season
  15. snap — to click
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rock — a stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — help
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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