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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitch — completely
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — to paddle
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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