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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fine — high quality
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — not warm
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — a series
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fine — all right

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