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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: wave · clip · hide · saw · bay · patient · nail · pop

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — a video
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pop — to visit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — soda
  17. clip — for paper
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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