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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: tube · patient · scale · wave · rock · lie · file · mine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. file — a tool
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — for digging
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — music
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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