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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 116 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 · lean · root · patient · lash · hand · fan · band

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a music group
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — thin

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