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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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Word bank
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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. swing — to play on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. swing — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — hurry
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — for pool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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