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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — a division
  8. cue — a hint
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. face — to confront
  11. rash — a series
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cue — a signal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — for a bird

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