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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. band — a music group
  11. drill — the tool
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — army training
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — a practice

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