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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — size or range
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. march — music
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. snap — to click
  24. file — a line of people

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