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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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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: cold · fine · fall · racket · patient · pass · wave · arm

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pass — a permit
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cold — not warm
  24. racket — for tennis

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