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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: chest · bank · patient · lean · stick · wave · current · fall

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fall — the season
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — thin
  21. chest — a box
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. current — happening now

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