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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spring — the season
  10. root — the cause
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spring — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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