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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.

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: firm · racket · game · season · bear · straw · wave · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — steady
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — decided
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bear — the animal

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