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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — the earth
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — the most important part
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — a position
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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