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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — in music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a song
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — help
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rule — government
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hand — in cards
  24. track — to keep track

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