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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. lean — thin
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — a garden tool

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