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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 · can · game · stem · hand · file · temple

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a document
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — to come from
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — wild animals
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stem — of a plant

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