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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 120 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 · mug · board · shower · pop · arm · wind · patient

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a cup
  18. shower — rain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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