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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kid — to tease
  7. chest — a box
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — of your body
  20. suit — clothes
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — for spectators

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