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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hand — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. hand — part of the body

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