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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. last — final
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — humankind
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. firm — steady
  22. last — to go on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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