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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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