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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bound — obliged
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. key — in music
  10. race — humankind
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — certain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — the arms race
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — a contest
  24. content — happy

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