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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bear — the animal

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