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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. field — a subject
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. club — for golf
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. field — farmland
  17. lean — thin
  18. current — of water
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. lean — to bend
  24. temple — a place of worship

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