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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · rock · bank · row · patient · can · craft · lie

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. row — to paddle
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — boats
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — a stone
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. can — a tin
  15. row — a line
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rock — music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — for money

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