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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: stand · racket · patient · wave · sharp · tear · last · mark

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — to go on
  6. tear — to rip
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. last — finally
  22. tear — from crying
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. sharp — with an edge

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