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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. net — after costs
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wax — for sculpting

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