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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. snap — to click
  7. face — to point toward
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. suit — in cards
  15. spring — the season
  16. suit — clothes
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spring — of water
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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