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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — a container
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. can — a tin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. field — farmland
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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