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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. suit — in cards
  7. capital — a city
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stem — to come from
  14. capital — money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — a video
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. suit — clothes

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