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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cold — not warm
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cold — an illness

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