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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. present — there
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rule — government
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — a division

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