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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 120 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: wind · ball · craft · firm · mine · wake · wave · patient

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — decided
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. craft — boats
  18. mine — for digging
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — a company
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — a trail
  24. firm — steady

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