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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 · arm · bank · race · mouse · hand · bulb · lean

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. race — a contest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — to bend
  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