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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pop — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. track — a song
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — an amount
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. last — final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — from a university
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — to go on

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