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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. clip — a video

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