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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spring — of water
  6. vault — a safe
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — of ice
  13. present — the time now
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — a gift
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bass — the fish
  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