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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: bear · bank · mark · key · roll · patient · land · drill

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a trace
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a grade
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — ground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. roll — a list
  24. bear — the animal

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