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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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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rock — music
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rock — a stone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. season — of the year

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