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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 · tube · current · cold · cabinet · firm · patient · can

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. cold — an illness
  6. firm — a company
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — of water
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — happening now
  18. cold — not warm
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. can — a tin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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