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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to sink
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mate — to breed

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