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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.

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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — for a lock
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — in music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. capital — money
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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