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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. field — farmland
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — for golf
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. wake — before a funeral

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