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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · patient · jam · face · object · wake · saw · mate

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. object — to protest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — to point toward
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. saw — the tool

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