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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tear — to rip
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — an aim
  14. band — a ring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. object — to protest
  19. tear — from crying
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tear — from crying
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — a thing
  24. leaves — to go away

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