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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: net · hand · rock · pop · arm · patient · wave · row

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — soda
  8. hand — help
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — after costs
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hand — in cards
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. row — a quarrel

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