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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: roll · wave · patient · wake · object · mate · pit · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. object — to protest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. object — a thing
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — ground
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wake — a trail
  21. roll — a list
  22. mate — to breed
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — a hole

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