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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. file — a line of people

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