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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.

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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: dip · mouse · patient · stick · staff · wave · hand · clip

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — for paper
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — a sauce

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