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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. roll — a cake
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — a hole
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. roll — a list
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rush — hurry
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. board — a committee
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wave — of the sea

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