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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. root — of a word
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — the cause
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — a permit

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