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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — the underground
  5. clip — for paper
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pop — music
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wax — to grow
  12. clip — to cut
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. safe — out of danger

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