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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · bank · bore · net · mine · pit · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pit — a hole
  3. net — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fan — a supporter

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