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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — the fish
  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