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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wax — to grow
  12. season — of the year
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — in sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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