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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wax — to grow
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — a place of worship

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