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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.

Make a worksheet

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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — low music
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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