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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — decided
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — to grow
  7. clip — a video
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — to cut
  15. firm — steady
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — a company
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bat — for baseball

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