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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — electricity
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. charge — in control
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. capital — money
  19. rock — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — a stone
  22. capital — a city
  23. can — a tin
  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