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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ball — a dance
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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