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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 120 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: last · patient · file · dip · march · cell · season · rock

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a document
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — final
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. march — music
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. season — of the year

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