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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. court — for sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mug — a cup
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. present — a gift
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mug — a face
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. court — of law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. present — there
  18. mug — to rob

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