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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — in sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. season — of the year
  22. row — a line
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — a sick person

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