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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — obliged
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — to handle
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — certain
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — in football

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