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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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Word bank
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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: perch · pop · wave · cabinet · patient · march · snap · rash

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rash — a series
  7. snap — to click
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — 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