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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bank — for money
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cell — in biology
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — child
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mate — a partner
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — to tease

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