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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — a division
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. root — of a word
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. branch — of a tree

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