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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. band — a music group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — a thing
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stand — to bear
  23. object — to protest
  24. stand — for spectators

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