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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lean — thin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lean — to bend
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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