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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wax — to grow
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — of law
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tube — the underground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tear — to rip
  12. face — to point toward
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — to confront
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. court — for sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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