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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · patient · ball · scale · wound · spell · wave · degree

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — a short time
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. degree — temperature
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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