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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — in cards
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rock — a stone
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — in music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — the season
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — part of the body
  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