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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: patient · wave · bay · cabinet · tube · wake · file · mouse

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — a container
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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