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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. spring — of water
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. wake — a trail
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spring — a coil
  24. date — on the calendar

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