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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. march — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hand — help
  20. wax — to grow
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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