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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mark — a trace
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rock — a stone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. race — a contest
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — to pay attention

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