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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: rock · ball · wave · fall · mouse · patient · hand · kick

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — help
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ball — a great time

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