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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — a country
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — ground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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