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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. key — in music
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — to grow
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tube — in a tire
  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