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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — army training
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. drill — the tool

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