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

Word bank: patient · club · file · wave · bank · march

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. club — for golf
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. club — for dancing
  18. patient — a sick person

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