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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · trunk · patient · mark · mug · bass

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — low music
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mug — a face
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — for money
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bank — of a river
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a trace
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person

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