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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · patient · fan · wave · stick · vault · leaves · swing

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. swing — in golf
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — music
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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