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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: charge · patient · bank · spring · mouse · firm · band · wake

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. charge — in control
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. charge — a price
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a music group
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. firm — a company

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