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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. object — a thing
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. wax — to grow
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — a contest
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. race — the arms race
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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