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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 120 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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — a safe
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spring — a coil
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pound — a weight
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — of water
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. press — a publisher
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. wake — before a funeral

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