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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. key — for a lock
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. plane — a tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stock — goods
  17. key — in music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pop — music

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