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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cap — a lid
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. drill — army training
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — a hint
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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