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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: cell · patient · wave · sharp · net · rock · pitcher · fall

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — music
  12. net — in sport
  13. cell — a phone
  14. net — after costs
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. net — for catching

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