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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. club — for dancing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stem — to come from
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. club — a group
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. capital — a city
  17. club — for golf
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tube — a container
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — money

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