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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — decided
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — to come from
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. firm — a company
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — steady
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. pass — a permit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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