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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — to be able to
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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