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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: bowl · wave · field · patient · staff · mine · last · dip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. field — farmland
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. dip — to sink
  9. staff — employees
  10. last — finally
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — for sport
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. last — final
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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