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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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