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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. band — a music group
  4. cell — in biology
  5. last — to go on
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — finally
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — final

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