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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. staff — employees
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — an amount
  8. staff — a stick
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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