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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: lie · fine · patient · sharp · season · object · mine · bank

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fine — all right
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — to recline
  12. object — an aim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. object — to protest
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. season — of the year
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fine — a penalty

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