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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. content — the amount
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — happy
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — hurry
  11. vault — a safe
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fan — to cool the air

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