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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cue — a hint
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — to go on
  10. rock — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — to grow
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cue — for pool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. patient — a sick person

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