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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · patient · straw · racket · staff · object · fan · wave

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. object — a thing
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — a position
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. staff — a stick
  13. object — to protest
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — dry grass

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