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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mine — for digging
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ground — crushed
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — a position
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — to push
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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