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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — there
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mug — a cup

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