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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: fine · mark · lean · ground · scale · wave · patient · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. scale — in music
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — to bend
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ground — crushed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. mark — a grade
  24. 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