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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — the time now
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. press — to push
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — a gift
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. present — there
  22. kid — child
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. press — a publisher

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