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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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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: snap · straw · bound · bank · patient · hide · fine · bark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fine — all right
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. snap — to click
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hide — animal skin

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