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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: land · bank · fan · roll · patient · stick · mate · tube

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — a list
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — ground
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tube — the underground
  14. land — a country
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. land — to come down
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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