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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: object · mate · clip · wave · shower · ruler · patient · mouse

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. clip — for paper
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — a thing
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. object — an aim
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. object — to protest
  17. shower — rain
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — to cut

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