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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — help
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a partner
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. season — of the year
  14. mark — a trace
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mate — to breed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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