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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. present — the time now
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — all right
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. present — there
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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