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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.

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: patient · track · hide · clip · temple · scale · band · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. clip — for paper
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a ring
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. track — a path
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — to keep track
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — a song
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a music group

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