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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 124 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chest — a box
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — to grow
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — a series
  13. kid — to tease
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — of your body
  24. foot — part of the body

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