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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. last — final
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mate — to breed
  15. race — humankind
  16. stock — shares
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — to go on
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. last — finally
  23. stock — goods
  24. patient — a sick person

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