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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — child
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — to tease
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rest — a break
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitch — completely

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