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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 · firm · nail · march · current · hand · wave · degree

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — of water
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — help
  12. current — electric
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. march — the month
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. firm — decided
  19. degree — from a university
  20. march — music
  21. firm — a company
  22. march — the month
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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