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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.

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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — a gift
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. present — there
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bat — the animal

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