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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a cup
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — in music
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mug — a face
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. key — for a lock
  23. present — there
  24. key — the most important part

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