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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: bank · clip · last · lash · swing · craft · wave · patient

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. last — final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — finally
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. clip — to cut
  15. swing — music
  16. clip — a video
  17. last — to go on
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. craft — boats
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wave — of the sea

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