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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bank · hand · mug · cap · bowl · patient · kick · bat

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mug — a face
  3. bat — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bank — for money
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — help
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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