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

Word bank: bank · hide · firm · snap · patient · present

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — the time now
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — there
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  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