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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — steady
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — to rip
  13. snap — to click
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. firm — decided

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