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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lie — to recline
  24. patient — a sick person

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