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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lean — thin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — in a race
  16. last — final
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. last — to go on
  20. pit — a hole
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  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