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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. toast — bread
  6. march — the month
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. march — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bound — certain
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — the month
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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