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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — a match
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — wild animals
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mark — a grade
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wind — to turn a key

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