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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: patient · fine · band · bank · roll · arm · last · wave

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — to go on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. roll — a cake
  10. last — final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a music group
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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