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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: mark · mate · toast · prune · cell · wave · patient · ruler

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. prune — to trim
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mark — a grade
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — to breed

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