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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — happy
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. swing — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a committee
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — to drill
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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