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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.

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: current · present · cold · bank · track · season · patient · arm

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cold — an illness
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cold — not warm
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — of the year
  7. track — a path
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — in sport
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — the Cold War

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