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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — a box
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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