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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: wind · bulb · pass · wound · bank · patient · tear · scale

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. scale — in music

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