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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · patient · bank · perch · season · face · file · key

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. key — in music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — of the year
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — in sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — to confront
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — for a lock
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a document
  23. perch — the fish
  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