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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 · nail · wave · kick · hand · fan · stock · patient

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stock — shares
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — help
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — on a finger

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