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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: wave · foot · pound · game · patient · snap · bowl · trunk

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to click
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pound — a weight
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. foot — a measure
  20. game — wild animals
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. game — a match

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