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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · can · cell · bat · hide · patient

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bat — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — for baseball

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