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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · patient · toast · wake · bay · bank · can · bulb

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — bread
  13. bat — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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