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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — to recline
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — of a tree

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