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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. net — after costs
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — to protest
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. net — in sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — to shout
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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