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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 124 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 water is too ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to click

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