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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. last — to go on
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. object — a thing
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. roll — a list
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — to protest
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. last — finally
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. last — final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hide — to keep secret

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