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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — to bend
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — in sport
  9. staff — a stick
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — for a hammer

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