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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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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: patient · arm · bank · pop · charge · wound · date · firm

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — steady
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pop — soda
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. date — the fruit
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — to visit

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