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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. file — a document
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pop — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — soda
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. file — a tool
  21. last — final
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. last — to go on

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