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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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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: mine · race · bay · tube · bank · patient · lean · field

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. 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. tube — a container
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — a subject
  12. lean — to bend
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. field — for sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tube — the underground
  23. field — farmland
  24. 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