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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 120 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 · game · sharp · net · bank · rock · plane · press

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. sharp — clever
  9. press — newspapers
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rock — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. press — to push
  15. bank — for money
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — for catching
  24. rock — to move gently

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