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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — the season
  24. spell — letters

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