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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a word
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — the month
  7. root — the cause
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wax — to grow
  10. root — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — the month
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — music

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