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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wax — to grow
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. shower — rain
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pass — a permit
  18. game — a match
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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