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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. clip — to cut
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mark — a trace
  10. field — a subject
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cap — a lid
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mark — a grade
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — farmland
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — of ice

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