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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. firm — decided
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. season — of the year
  15. firm — a company
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stand — on your feet

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