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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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · date · wound · mark · march · can · patient · bay

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mark — a grade
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. date — on the calendar

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