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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. last — to go on
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — all right

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