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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 · date · patient · rest · temple · wind · suit · tube

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — the fruit
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — in cards
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — a container
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rest — a break
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — clothes
  24. date — on the calendar

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