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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — in music
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — for weighing

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