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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: clip · wound · wax · patient · cabinet · cue · mug · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — not warm
  8. clip — for paper
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — a video
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — in the ear
  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