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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.

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: wave · present · stick · patient · can · mug · scale · temple

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — to rob
  7. scale — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. present — a gift
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — the time now
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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