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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bank — of a river
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a dance
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — in music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. key — the most important part

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