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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. press — to push
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — to come down
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wax — to grow
  22. land — a country
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. content — the amount

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