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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — to bend
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — letters
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a path
  17. band — a music group
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. board — to get on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. band — a ring
  23. lean — thin
  24. patient — a sick person

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