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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: patient · court · lean · kick · fine · bank · wave · clip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. court — for sport
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of law
  19. kick — in football
  20. clip — a video
  21. court — of a king
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lean — thin

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