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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. dip — to sink
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — to drill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. wax — to grow
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. staff — a stick
  24. spell — a short time

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