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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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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: arm · net · wave · lean · band · patient · bay · game

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to bend
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. game — a match
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. net — after costs
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — thin
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. net — in sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. band — a music group
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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