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

Word bank: deal · bank · wind · mug · patient · cap · sharp · rule

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — a face
  3. bank — of a river
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rule — government
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rule — a law
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — a sick person

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