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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.

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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 · game · racket · lean · pound · bank · shower · face

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lean — thin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. shower — rain
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. face — to confront
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. face — to point toward
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bank — for money
  24. pound — a weight

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