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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stock — shares
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — goods
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chest — a box
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chest — of your body
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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