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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 · saw · file · bear · patient · bass · present · roll

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. file — a line of people
  6. present — the time now
  7. roll — a list
  8. file — a document
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. file — a tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — of a river
  24. present — there

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