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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — humankind
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. race — the arms race
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. can — to be able to
  15. branch — a division
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. patient — a sick person

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