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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rule — a law
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. row — a line
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. vault — a safe
  13. toast — bread
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — government
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. wax — for sculpting

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