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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — to recline
  19. foot — a measure
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — part of the body

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