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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.

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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: present · wave · patient · race · dip · arm · mate · sharp

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. race — humankind
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. present — there
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — the arms race
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. present — a gift
  20. dip — to sink
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. present — the time now
  24. arm — part of the body

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