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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — a position
  10. face — to point toward
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — a container
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wax — to grow
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ground — crushed
  22. face — to confront
  23. stock — shares
  24. rush — hurry

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