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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. shower — rain
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — to drop
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spell — letters

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