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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 · bear · bank · rock · fine · ball · cell · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — final
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cell — in biology
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — to go on
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a great time

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