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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. face — to confront
  4. rule — a law
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — part of the head
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — government
  16. cap — of ice
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tube — the underground
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bank — of a river

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