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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — temperature
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — an amount
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — a division
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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