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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — a weight
  9. spring — a coil
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spring — the season
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — a permit
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. spring — of water
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mark — a grade

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