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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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