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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. land — to come down
  6. spell — letters
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — a publisher
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spell — a short time
  13. land — ground
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — a trail
  19. file — a line of people
  20. spell — magic
  21. press — to push
  22. file — a document
  23. land — a country
  24. coach — a trainer

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