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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.

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: clip · lean · dip · wave · patient · spell · game · race

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — a contest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. race — humankind
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lean — thin

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