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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: net · current · nail · cell · patient · saw · pass · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — of water
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — a phone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. current — electric
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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