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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. season — in sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — of the year
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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