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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. firm — decided
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. firm — steady
  9. rest — a break
  10. firm — a company
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a music group
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. prune — to trim
  17. band — a ring
  18. patient — a sick person

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