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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 120 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: scale · suit · bore · net · ball · wind · patient · wake

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — to drill
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. net — after costs
  18. scale — size or range
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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