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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 · lash · root · bank · trunk · mine · fall · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. root — of a word

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