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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bass — low music
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the animal

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