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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: mark · nail · tear · staff · hand · patient · board · wave

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — to rip
  10. board — a committee
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — a grade
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a trace
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wave — with your hand

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