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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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 dunk
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pop — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pop — soda
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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