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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — thin
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — a container
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  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