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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of a king
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — a group
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of law
  19. bank — of a river
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. club — for golf
  23. row — a line
  24. cabinet — ministers

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