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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · patient · bank · charge · race · rash · bat · bore

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — a container
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — in control
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — a price
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bank — for money

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