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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wake — a trail
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. firm — a company
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — steady
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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