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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. march — the month
  7. land — ground
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. land — to come down
  15. foot — a measure
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — to handle
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. foot — 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