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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. foot — a measure
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — a country
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — to come down
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ground — crushed
  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