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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. scale — in music
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitch — completely

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