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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to drill
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — the season
  19. vault — a safe
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cap — a lid
  24. patient — a sick person

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