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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.

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: wave · sharp · tear · fall · court · patient · charge · nail

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. court — of a king
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — for sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tear — to rip
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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