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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mine — for digging
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. band — a music group
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — to bend

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