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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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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: face · patient · racket · cap · wake · bulb · saw · wave

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — to point toward
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wake — a trail

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