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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — of water
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — the most important part
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — for a lock
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. present — there
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. present — the time now
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — with your hand

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