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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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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: bay · object · coach · prune · bound · bank · snap · patient

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bound — certain
  5. object — a thing
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. snap — to click
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. object — an aim
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — tied together

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