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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — the underground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tube — a container
  13. root — of a word
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — clever
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wave — with your hand

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