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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — after costs
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — for catching
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a cake
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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