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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — a committee
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — crushed
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ground — a position
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — with your hand

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