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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: cue · wound · wave · game · patient · rock · sharp · net

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — a stone
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. net — after costs
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. net — for catching
  18. rock — music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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