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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.

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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: roll · band · land · patient · club · staff · lie · foot

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. land — to come down
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — a stick
  9. roll — a cake
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. roll — a list
  13. land — ground
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. club — a group
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. staff — employees
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. roll — on a roll

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