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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — to hurry

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