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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wax — to grow
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — temperature
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — clothes

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