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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · file · patient · swing · wake · season · scale · fall

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a document
  7. content — happy
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — the season
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. swing — to play on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. swing — in golf
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. scale — size or range
  21. file — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — the amount

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