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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 · arm · bear · hand · tear · bank · key · ball

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tear — to rip
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a dance
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. key — for a lock

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