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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 120 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: patient · bank · tear · saw · season · file · cell · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cell — in biology
  5. file — a document
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — of a river
  11. saw — the tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. cell — a phone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — of the year
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — to rip
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bank — for money
  23. file — a tool
  24. tear — from crying

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