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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — after costs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. net — for catching
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bore — to drill
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — a sick person

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