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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bank — for money
  7. kid — to tease
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. kid — child
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a music group
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mate — to breed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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