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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: bank · row · patient · lean · trunk · season · club · ball

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. club — for golf
  5. row — a line
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ball — a dance
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a round shape
  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