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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 124 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: bank · kid · patient · bore · pass · pit · firm · wind

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bank — of a river
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. firm — a company
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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