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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: patient · race · staff · wave · sharp · hide · net · root

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. net — for catching
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — in sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. root — of a word
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — of a plant
  22. race — the arms race
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — a contest

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