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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: bank · wind · patient · bay · pound · plane · last · charge

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pound — a weight
  5. last — to go on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — final
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — in geometry

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