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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. court — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. charge — a price
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — of law
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. charge — in control
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a signal
  22. club — for golf
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. court — of a king

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