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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · temple · mine · fine · mouse · wave · sharp · track

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fine — all right
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. patient — a sick person

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