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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. last — to go on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. court — for sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — all right
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of a king
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — final
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — of law
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pound — a weight
  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