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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. root — the cause
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — all right
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a word

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