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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 124 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — in music
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. key — for a lock
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — to grow
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. squash — to crush

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