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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
468
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: bank · game · sharp · cell · pass · dip · land · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. sharp — clever
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to sink
  14. game — a match
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. bank — for money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — ground
  24. sharp — exactly

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