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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — final
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — to go on
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rush — hurry
  16. net — after costs
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — finally
  21. net — in sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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