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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — to wash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wax — to grow
  20. shower — rain
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tube — a container

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