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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — all right
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spell — magic
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — a face
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chest — a box

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