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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — a series
  7. present — there
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pit — in a race
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — hasty
  24. staff — employees

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