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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — a subject
  8. staff — employees
  9. last — to go on
  10. field — for sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. track — to keep track
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. field — farmland
  19. lean — to bend
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — of a river

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