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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. root — the cause
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pop — soda
  12. object — to protest
  13. pop — to visit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — to drill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — to grow

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