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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. land — a country
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — of water
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — ground

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