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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wake — a trail
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — to push
  24. pitcher — a jug

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