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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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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: mouse · race · ball · content · patient · craft · wave · leaves

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — a skill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — boats
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a dance
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. race — humankind

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