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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: tear · bank · game · patient · wake · fine · cabinet · net

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. net — for catching
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — a match

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