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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ground — the earth
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a music group
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ground — a position
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a ring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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