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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chip — for betting
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spring — of water
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — the season

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