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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — a friend
  13. club — for golf
  14. march — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for dancing
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — rain

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