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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 116 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: wave · mate · patient · mouse · file · wound · scale · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mate — a friend
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — to breed
  22. file — a tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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