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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: bulb · fall · wound · patient · lash · wind · bank · arm

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bank — for money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. arm — part of the body

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