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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — the earth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ground — a position
  13. saw — the tool
  14. key — in music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rock — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rush — a thrill

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