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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. spring — the season
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — a path
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pitch — completely
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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