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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 116 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 · firm · wave · staff · face · mate · kid · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — to confront
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. firm — a company
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — 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