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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — final
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — of water
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. race — humankind
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fine — all right
  20. spring — the season
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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