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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.

Make a worksheet

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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spell — letters
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — of the year
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — temperature
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. spell — magic

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