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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. field — a subject
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. field — farmland
  8. pound — a weight
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — for sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — a sick person

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