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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mug — to rob
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a trace

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