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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: clip · season · patient · band · bear · current · bank · toast

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. toast — bread
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — happening now
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — of the year
  16. clip — a video
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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