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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — a division
  24. wax — in the ear

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