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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pop — to visit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pop — music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. march — music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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