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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.

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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cold — an illness
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fall — the season
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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