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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 116 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — a break
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pop — soda
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rest — what's left
  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