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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — to be able to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hand — help
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. swing — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — in golf

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