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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. swing — to play on
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a music group
  10. swing — music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. band — a ring
  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