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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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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 · bank · mug · bass · bay · tear · rest · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a face
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — a break
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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