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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — happy
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mate — to breed
  8. content — the amount
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mate — a partner
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pass — a permit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mate — a friend

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