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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. track — a path
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cap — a lid
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a song
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — to keep track
  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