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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. kid — child
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. kid — to tease
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — of a river
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fine — high quality

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