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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — hurry
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — for dancing
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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