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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 be taking the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — finally
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — a container
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. dip — to sink

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