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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: mine · roll · patient · clip · pit · saw · can · bank

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bank — for money
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — a tin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — of a river
  19. clip — a video
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pit — a hole

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