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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: deal · saw · patient · hand · toast · rest · bank · spell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — bread
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — help
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — a sick person

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