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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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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — a break
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. firm — a company
  10. bear — the animal
  11. race — a contest
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — decided
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — humankind
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — steady
  23. wax — to grow
  24. race — the arms race

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