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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. net — after costs
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. tube — the underground
  9. net — for catching
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. net — in sport
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — in the ear

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