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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.

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: band · deal · file · patient · bass · march · bore · leaves

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. deal — to handle
  5. march — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to drill
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a music group
  18. file — a tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a document
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. band — a ring

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