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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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