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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: scale · wave · patient · staff · wind · band · coach · stick

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. staff — a stick
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. staff — employees
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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