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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to sink
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — in football
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. clip — a video
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — a trace
  24. kick — with a leg

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