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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: track · season · patient · saw · face · date · can · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — a path
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. can — a tin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — to be able to
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — in sport

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