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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rock — music
  24. last — finally

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