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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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468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — a break
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a leader

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