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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — steady
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mug — a cup
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rock — a stone
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. kid — child
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rock — music

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