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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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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: net · nail · bat · tear · kick · wave · patient · rest

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kick — in football
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. net — after costs
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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