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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rush — hurry
  6. snap — to click
  7. charge — a price
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a committee
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — in control
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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