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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — high quality
  13. net — after costs
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — for catching
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fine — all right

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