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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — in music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — the tool
  7. land — ground
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. present — there
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — army training
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. present — a gift

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