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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · wax · object · deal · patient · stick

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tear — to rip
  5. object — to protest
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tear — from crying
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting

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