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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — from crying
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. net — after costs
  11. tear — from crying
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — in sport
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — to visit

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