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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: arm · pound · patient · bank · vault · season · rash · stand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — in sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. vault — a safe
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bank — of a river
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rash — a series
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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