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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — to wash
  3. charge — in control
  4. wax — to grow
  5. land — to come down
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. charge — a price
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. charge — electricity
  10. land — ground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — a country
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. shower — rain
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — to confront
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. club — a group
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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