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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. game — a match
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lean — to bend
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cap — of ice
  24. foot — a measure

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