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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — clever
  13. file — a tool
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a document
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — in music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  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