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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — a division
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — for catching
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — in sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wax — in the ear

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