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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. row — a line
  17. root — of a word
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lie — to recline

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