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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
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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: bear · patient · spell · band · fine · saw · last · stand

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. last — to go on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. band — a music group
  6. last — final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — all right
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — magic
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. last — finally
  19. band — a ring
  20. spell — a short time
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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