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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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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: rock · band · pop · bank · mark · patient · lie · roll

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pop — soda
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. roll — a list
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — of a river

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