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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: plane · march · bank · rock · saw · date · bulb · patient

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. march — the month

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