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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fork — in a road
  14. chair — a leader
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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