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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — a stick
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cold — an illness
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. tube — a container
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cold — not warm
  24. key — in music

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