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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. craft — boats
  3. band — a music group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — there
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. present — the time now
  24. craft — a skill

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