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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. field — for sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. roll — a list
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — clothes
  24. field — farmland

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