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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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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: stem · patient · mark · mate · rock · scale · rule · wave

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — a stone
  24. scale — for weighing

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