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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. net — after costs
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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