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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: band · patient · wave · march · ground · mouse · object · stand

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ground — a position
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — the earth

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