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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. staff — a stick
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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