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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. chair — a leader
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — music
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — to move gently

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