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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: patient · bank · pit · cue · lean · file · bat · bay

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bat — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. file — a document
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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