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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cue — a signal

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