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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bank — of a river
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cell — a phone
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — in biology
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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