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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 116 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: bank · present · last · fan · swing · pop · patient · pass

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — a permit
  3. last — final
  4. bank — of a river
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. present — there
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bank — for money
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pop — soda
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pop — music
  17. last — to go on
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bank — for money

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