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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: wave · saw · file · perch · rest · mark · patient · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — a grade
  5. file — a document
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a line of people
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mark — a trace
  22. perch — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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