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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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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: tube · patient · saw · fine · scale · wound · mine · foot

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — a container
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fine — all right
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. scale — in music

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