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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: sharp · net · wave · bound · scale · patient · snap · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — in sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — for catching
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — exactly

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