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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mug — a cup
  6. current — happening now
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. current — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. court — of law
  16. bound — certain
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — temperature
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — electric
  22. court — of a king
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wax — in the ear

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