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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — all right
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spell — letters
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — magic
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. patient — a sick person

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