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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — for pool
  15. land — a country
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. wax — for sculpting

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