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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. club — for golf
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. fall — the season
  14. tear — to rip
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — a group
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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