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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — shares
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stock — goods
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. row — a line
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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