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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wound — an injury
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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