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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. content — happy
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — of the year
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. swing — music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. content — the amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — in sport
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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