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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — to grow
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a face
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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