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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: hand · patient · leaves · roll · row · mate · bank · court

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. court — for sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hand — help
  24. row — a line

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