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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 · nail · degree · spring · ground · fan · rest · bank

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. degree — an amount
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — a break
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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