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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. suit — clothes
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — to fit

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