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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.

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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a music group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a ring
  12. degree — from a university
  13. kick — in football
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — in cards
  21. degree — temperature
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  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