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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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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: wave · mark · land · bear · foot · cell · present · patient

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — the time now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — there
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. present — a gift
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. land — ground
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — to come down

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