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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. track — a song
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — to grow
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bank — of a river
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — exactly

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