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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. shower — to wash
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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