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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. squash — to crush
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — a city
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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