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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: hand · content · ball · bark · bank · bulb · rush · patient

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — of a river
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bank — for money
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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