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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 116 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: hand · wave · stand · rash · patient · bay · ground · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ground — the earth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ball — a great time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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