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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — a skill
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. field — a subject
  13. fine — all right
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. field — farmland
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — to grow

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