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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.

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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: mouse · patient · cold · bank · calf · mine · content · tube

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — the amount
  15. cold — not warm
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. content — happy
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mouse — the animal

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