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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: patient · bank · saw · pitcher · bay · lean · pound · fall

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — thin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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