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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — calm and waiting
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — a sick person
  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