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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to click
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mine — belonging to me

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