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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. wound — an injury
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. club — for golf
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — a trainer
  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