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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a document
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fork — in a road
  10. file — a line of people
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — obliged

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