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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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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: calf · field · bank · tube · wave · lash · patient · craft

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — a container
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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