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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: patient · firm · bear · present · kid · wave · file · race

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. kid — to tease
  6. race — humankind
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bear — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — the arms race
  13. present — a gift
  14. kid — child
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — a company
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. present — there
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — the time now
  24. bear — the animal

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