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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to bend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — to paddle
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. face — to point toward

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