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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rest — a break
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — in the ear

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