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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. swing — to play on
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. march — music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. kid — to tease
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — government
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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