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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bound — certain
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bound — tied together
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. last — finally
  11. present — the time now
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — a gift
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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