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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — goods
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — a box
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — shares
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wax — to grow

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