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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. chest — a box
  16. object — to protest
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chest — of your body
  21. march — the month
  22. object — an aim
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — music

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