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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — an illness
  8. charge — electricity
  9. spring — of water
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — in control
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kick — in football
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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