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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — wild animals
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. game — a match
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. prune — to trim
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to click
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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