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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — completely
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. race — a contest
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. game — a match
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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