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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — to grow
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — a tin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — the fish
  14. can — a tin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. content — happy
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — a sick person

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