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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · patient · wave · bore · mine · bank · club · bark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pop — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — soda
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — a group
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bark — of a tree

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