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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — a permit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — letters
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — shares
  21. spell — magic
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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