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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. face — part of the head
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. press — a publisher
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — to push
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — to confront
  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