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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — a tin
  12. chest — a box
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — a sick person

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