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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 116 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 · hand · calf · stock · lean · rush · bank · mate

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — shares
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. calf — of the leg
  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