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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.

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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: band · patient · firm · stick · wind · arm · bay · bowl

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. firm — a company
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a ring
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. firm — decided
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. firm — steady
  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