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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — certain
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tube — a container
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. row — to paddle
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. march — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — the month

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