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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: patient · snap · bay · leaves · key · chest · bank · current

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — in music
  4. current — happening now
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to click
  7. bank — of a river
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — of water
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chest — a box
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bay — a horse colour

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