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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 120 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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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: season · patient · bank · band · trunk · land · object · board

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a committee
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. board — to get on
  9. season — in sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. band — a music group
  13. season — of the year
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — to come down
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. band — a ring
  24. land — a country

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