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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. root — of a word
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. spell — magic
  8. field — for sport
  9. vault — a safe
  10. root — the cause
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — a subject
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — farmland
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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