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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · firm · bulb · plane · patient · scale · spring · snap

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spring — the season
  8. firm — a company
  9. snap — to click
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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