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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. squash — to crush
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. plane — a tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fall — the season
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cold — not warm
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — the vegetable

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