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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 120 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: arm · patient · wave · nail · court · tear · mate · foot

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. court — of law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. court — of a king
  12. mate — a partner
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — to rip
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mate — to breed
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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