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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. charge — electricity
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — an illness
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. swing — to play on
  15. charge — in control
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — to grow

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