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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: wave · patient · mouse · season · pitcher · pop · mate · shower

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — rain
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mate — a partner

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