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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · wave · tube · march · wake · safe · press · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. clip — to cut
  9. press — a publisher
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — to push
  21. tube — a container
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — a trail
  24. clip — a video

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