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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. track — a path
  7. cap — a hat
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. clip — for paper
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — a lid
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. clip — a video

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