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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 124 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wound — an injury

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