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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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Word bank
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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. drill — the tool
  3. kick — in football
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — army training
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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