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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — a series
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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