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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. stem — to come from
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — a hole
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — a sick person

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