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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wax — to grow
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. vault — a safe
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. clip — for paper
  24. temple — a place of worship

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