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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — in music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rule — a law
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — government
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — in the ear

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