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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fine · field · firm · wake · plane · stick · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — decided
  6. field — a subject
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — a company
  24. plane — an aircraft

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