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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 116 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. object — an aim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — a thing
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — the fish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — low music
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — of the year
  18. fall — to drop
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — in sport
  21. fall — the season
  22. object — to protest
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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