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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. file — a document
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — a path
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — from crying

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