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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: patient · cabinet · deal · snap · fine · degree · march · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — temperature
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — music
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fine — high quality
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — an agreement

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