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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. track — to keep track
  8. firm — decided
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. present — there
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. shower — rain
  23. sharp — clever
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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