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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. staff — a stick
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — in sport
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — the earth
  15. object — a thing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — to grow
  20. staff — employees
  21. object — an aim
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ground — a position

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