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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  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. rest — a break
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rule — government
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a tool
  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