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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. swing — in golf
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. row — to paddle
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bound — certain
  24. swing — music

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