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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 120 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: wake · stock · saw · fall · patient · coach · march · mate

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stock — shares
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — goods
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — a trail
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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