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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — a container
  14. rash — a series
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — of the year
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. press — to push
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — in music
  24. wax — to grow

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