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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 116 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: ball · fan · bank · perch · mug · patient · saw · file

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a document
  9. bank — for money
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mug — to rob
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — a supporter

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