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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: season · dip · present · scale · hand · patient · bank · can

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — a gift
  5. season — of the year
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — the time now
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. dip — to sink
  14. present — there
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — of a river
  22. season — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — to add flavour

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